Why did this gen of console go on for so long?

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TheShiz

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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i think diminishing returns plays into it. to me the x360 controller is great, the graphics still hold up pretty well, and as long as your console doesn't die it works well and these days is cheap. sony and microsoft are still selling a lot of systems and software so why bother rushing out a new generation where they will no doubt eat a lot of cash getting it off the ground. it's risky business. I'm fine with no new 360/ps this or even next year. i anticipate we will see the next gen for ms/sony in 2013 though
 

nextJin

Golden Member
Apr 16, 2009
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The time gap is longer due to the always on aspect this gen and the economy. Motion controls helped as well.

That said why are people seriously saying that the graphics are fine? No AAA title is rendered at 1080p much less 720p, most are rendered at below HD levels and scaled up which still only get 30fps, horrible AA and the "filler" is nothing more than trash.

We certainly do not need 1600p BF3 @ 60fps 64 man games in the living room but certainly we could deal with another generational leap. If people did not care we would still be gaming with monochrome gameboys and 8 bit Nintendos.
 

Bobisuruncle54

Senior member
Oct 19, 2011
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It's due to a number of reasons:

The vast majority of gamers now are people that buy COD and other crap - gaming is new to them so they're easily impressed by the graphics, but it's just something they do because it has become a popular entertainment medium, not because they enjoy the industry itself. They are just consumers, not customers. They are more susceptible to marketing and less demanding, so it's easier for both companies to cater for this demographic - i.e. the demographic that doesn't care if games could be better.

Stupid hardware choices. Both parties were guilty of huge f-ups when it came to the hardware, including replacing consoles at huge cost and making a stupid chip with initially atrocious production problems.

It's "good enough". The hardware has advanced to the point where games can easily engage people emotionally, which was much more difficult to achieve with the last generation. As a result it has peaked as an entertainment medium. This also goes for music and films as well - technology has allowed amateurs to compete with professional works, which has shook up traditional release cycles and models.
 
Apr 12, 2010
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Came across talks that next-gen will have difficulty meeting sales marks much worse than current-gen has. Due to other mediums moving in on gaming territory.
Probably has role to play in this as well.
 

dagamer34

Platinum Member
Aug 15, 2005
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A few reasons:
1) Economy - Releasing a new $400-500 console in this economy isn't the greatest of ideas.
2) Poor decisions - Sony lost a ton of money selling the PS3 at a huge loss at the beginning of this generation, and Microsoft wrote off the cost of 3-year warranties for RRoD 360s to the tune of $1 billion.
3) Timing #1 - The end of a console when it is most profitable.
4) Timing #2 - Probably wanted to wait until Unreal Engine 4 was ready.
5) Cost - Each console has gotten progressively more expensive to develop games for.
6) Kinect - Microsoft probably didn't expect Kinect to give the 360 as much of a boost in sales as it did.

But I think all signs point to 2013.
 

Mythbinder

Junior Member
Apr 28, 2011
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Well honestly its the fact that consumers are not ready to face the end of "Consoles" they are finally reaching the end of their inevitable evolution.

Current Gen consoles haven't even begun to be tested to their limits by the most modern games a hardware upgrade would be pointless.

The PS3 and Xbox 360 are more commonly used as Media devices then just "game consoles".
Both current gen consoles are more PC like then any prev gen ever were. The next gen will be a SFF PC with custom software there is no where else for them to go. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the next "Xbox" ran Windows 8 or 9. When Games do Not challenge the hardware you must build in more features and functions.

People don't want 3-5 devices connected to their TV's anymore they want 1 that will do it all.

The only public statement made by Sony as to the Next gen for Playstation, said they expect the PS3 to have 10 year market span and hardware wise it will prolly be another 3yrs before the hardware reaches its limits Game wise.

There may still be another generation of "consoles" but there really should not be. Most consumers want a device that will do everything including "Living Room gaming". Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 have already embraced this trend by adding ability to utilize streaming media services, play basic dvd/bd as well as other digital media.
 
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Mythbinder

Junior Member
Apr 28, 2011
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While it may be true most games only play at 720p this is not a limitation set by the console but by the games themselves, there are a handful of games that will play at 1080p.
FPS? Really? There are so many reasons why FPS is locked on consoles I just dunno were to start.
 

dagamer34

Platinum Member
Aug 15, 2005
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While it may be true most games only play at 720p this is not a limitation set by the console but by the games themselves, there are a handful of games that will play at 1080p.
FPS? Really? There are so many reasons why FPS is locked on consoles I just dunno were to start.

I can't think of any AAA titles that run their games at 1080p. All use 720p or lower to instead use GPU power on effects.

I wonder if next-gen games will be forced to render in 1080p like they are supposed to use 720p today.
 

dguy6789

Diamond Member
Dec 9, 2002
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While it may be true most games only play at 720p this is not a limitation set by the console but by the games themselves, there are a handful of games that will play at 1080p.
FPS? Really? There are so many reasons why FPS is locked on consoles I just dunno were to start.

The reason games aren't running at 1920x1080 at 60fps is because the hardware is maxed out and has significant difficulty running most games at 720p or lower at 30fps.
 

Sonikku

Lifer
Jun 23, 2005
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I can't think of any AAA titles that run their games at 1080p. All use 720p or lower to instead use GPU power on effects.

I wonder if next-gen games will be forced to render in 1080p like they are supposed to use 720p today.

I'm all for it. "Force" them to make their games in native 720p and they all make their games in at least 480p or a bit higher. "Force" them to render their games in 1080p and maybe we'll finally be seeing every title in native, unscaled 720p.
 

Brazuka

Junior Member
Jul 26, 2010
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I agree this gen consoles still pretty decent, but they where also holding for a solid new media to sell games on, like cartridges,then cds then dvds/brays, and the next gen will be alalmost completely online media only i believe, with fast internet becoming more affordable and piracy more of a treat, they can just give you a console with a big HDD and force you to stay online even to play in single player mode.. on demand is the new media.
 

Bobisuruncle54

Senior member
Oct 19, 2011
333
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Simply put: Most people like crap. They like good stuff as well, but they mostly like crap.

So all these simple, crap games on crap consoles appeal to simple minded people. :D
 

mashumk

Member
May 19, 2012
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Already been stated, but yeah, the economy set the clock back 2 or even 3 years. But in addition to that, I think the online components of consoles have kept them "fresh" in enough minds (not mine) that they got extended lifespans.

However, with Wii U launching as fossilized tech with a Fisher Price image, it's just going too far and is embarassing. Enough people will come around and see how far PC tech has come and we'll see a tech push race. The other 2 new consoles next year will help but they'll still be old tech at launch. The low bar will at least be higher. I think PC's will push things forward starting 2013 as opposed to the previous/current generation.

With Haswell and the current modest price war with GPUs, along with the next die shrinkage step in GPUs, 2013 is when it all really starts. Or 2014 when games are actually released :)
 

Sable

Golden Member
Jan 7, 2006
1,130
105
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Having not bothered to read the thread I can only postulate that someone will have already mentioned the fact that the improvement of hardware specs is apparently having a totally negative effect on attual gameplay. o_O

Rage I played for all of an hour and it just wound me up totally with the dreadful texture pop-in. With graphics on a par with Borderlands but with a gameplay that was totally trumped I've no idea what ID were going for there. I can only assume the game was in development for so long that they didn't want to pull a Daikatana b2b Duke Nukem Forever so they released a god awful game with a piss poor engine.

I've since updated my PC to uberspecs and have zero inclination to reinstall rage whereas Borderlands was immediately re-steamed and I'm serisouly looking forward to Borderlands 2.

Gone off topic? Probably.

On topic, I think people have run out of damn ideas for games. The hardware power is there but there's just nothing out there taking advantage of it.

Recent games I've enjoyed? Skyrim. Ace. And you know what? It ran just as well and was just as enjoyable on my X2 4200+ b2b 4870 1GB as my i5 2500k @ 4.7ghz b2b 680 GTX.

The thing that's missing is innovation, the same thing is massively apparent in films. Stagnation. And I dunno what the solution is. POss poss I'm just old and disillusioned. o_O
 

StinkyPinky

Diamond Member
Jul 6, 2002
6,980
1,276
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Some people commenting here are extremely short-sighted.

A new console wont make games better? Really? How about more realistic physics? Larger game worlds? More NPC's on the screen at one time? Better AI? Actually using modern standards like DX11?

I seem to remember people saying the same stuff about the PS2. We should all be using that then. DX7 all the way.
 

IlllI

Diamond Member
Feb 12, 2002
4,927
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this generation of consoles are just now becoming mainstream in pricing.
 

Jakeisbest

Senior member
Feb 1, 2008
377
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I would say that the current gen of consoles has lasted so long because of the television market holding steady with a 1080p resolution.
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
I would say that the current gen of consoles has lasted so long because of the television market holding steady with a 1080p resolution.

Yet most games aren't even 720p let alone 1080p. It's gone into this long because Microsoft and Sony wanted to push them longer. Being able to update systems with software updates has definitely helped them do this.
 

Rezist

Senior member
Jun 20, 2009
726
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I can't believe people say the graphics are fine, most games are still pretty damn jaggy like MW3, you look at the xbox 360/ps3 graphics there from 2005, hell even today's 100$ video cards have alot more horespower. 512mb or ram? That's a job ram is free now... for 300$ with a new design they could get alot more for there money....
 

BoberFett

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
37,562
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Ummmm, current graphics are just fine. I don't see a mass revolt with people refusing to buy new games. For the averager consumer we're reaching a point of diminishing returns.

I just played through Arkham City on the Xbox and never once did I think to myself how awful the game was, and how much better it would be if only there were a million more polygons and higher resolution textures. I was too busy having fun beating up thugs instead of being a pathetic hardware spec measuring nerd.

But continue to complain on the internet about the abysmal state of video gaming. This guy approves:

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